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HIGH POINT, N.C., July 29, 2014 – Rising third-graders from Oak Hill Elementary School left HPU’s School of Education’s Summer Reading Institute with pride in their accomplishments, new knowledge and plenty of books to take home and continue reading.

Over the past two months, HPU graduate students worked with the elementary students on reading, integrated math and science experiments, and writing projects. The purpose was to help the students maintain and build upon what they learned during the school year over the summer.

“We had a wonderful summer together,” said Dr. Leslie Cavendish, assistant professor of education. “One of the most rewarding aspects of the reading institute was how much pride the children had as they shared with their families all that they have read and learned on our parent night. The teachers in the institute were also able to meet the families, share how their child has developed as a reader over the summer as well as offer suggestions for continued support.”

The institute also provided each student with 12 to 15 books to keep at the end of the summer. The children chose some of their own books and the teachers chose books they knew would be a good fit for the children.

“We know the more books we can get at home, the more the children will read,” said Cavendish.

“Seeing the children get excited to read was phenomenal,” added Giselle Mansi, institute graduate assistant. “On parent night, there was an outpour of gratefulness coming from the parents! They were all so grateful for the effort and the time taken to instruct their children during the summer weeks.”

“Reading is such a critical skill for young learners especially for students entering third grade,” says Jessie Dietz, an elementary education graduate student at HPU. “Allowing them one-on-one time to focus on reading skills and to simply read can make all the difference in a child’s perception of themselves as readers. There will always be students who struggle as readers, and this summer I had the opportunity to practice all the strategies that assist a student to be the best they can be.”

The institute is held in conjunction with Oak Hill Elementary and with funding from the Molly Millis-Hedgecock Foundation.